scab

1 of 2

noun

1
: scabies of domestic animals
2
: a crust of hardened blood and serum over a wound
3
a
: a contemptible person
b(1)
: a worker who refuses to join a labor union
(2)
: a union member who refuses to strike or returns to work before a strike has ended
(3)
: a worker who accepts employment or replaces a union worker during a strike
(4)
: one who works for less than union wages or on nonunion terms
4
: any of various bacterial or fungus diseases of plants characterized by crustaceous spots
also : one of the spots

scab

2 of 2

verb

scabbed; scabbing

intransitive verb

1
: to become covered with a scab
2
: to act as a scab

Examples of scab in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Eventually the sores will crust over and form scabs, which finally fall off. Stephen C. George, Discover Magazine, 5 Mar. 2024 The Instagram Story pic sees Barker's hand covered in blood and scabs, surrounding a particularly wide gash across one of his knuckles. Shania Russell, EW.com, 16 Oct. 2023 The coming election season, with Trump likely on the ballot, could be enough to pick the scab. Jonathan Weisman Benjamin Rasmussen, New York Times, 30 Nov. 2023 The rash itself—which appears like tiny scabs—also tends to change as the infection intensifies. Julia Landwehr, Health, 19 Dec. 2023 Sayles incorporates elements from related labor struggles into the story to show how Black migrants and European immigrants hired as scabs often united with local miners. Mike Barnes, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Dec. 2023 General Hospital, the longest-running American soap opera, is turning to scab writers to keep the show going amidst the Writers Guild of America’s ongoing strike. Ash Parrish, The Verge, 25 July 2023 So, as scripts run out, more of your favorite daytime soaps could also turn to scab writers to keep them going. Ash Parrish, The Verge, 25 July 2023 On Thursday, the rapper, 33, gave his followers a close-up view of his pal's knuckles and fingers which were covered in blood and scabs. Gabrielle Rockson, Peoplemag, 27 Oct. 2023
Verb
The crust eventually scabs off, leaving a red welt that can sometimes take a few weeks to calm down. Mark Hay, SELF, 26 Jan. 2024 Eventually the spots, which initially look like a pimple or pustule, can scab or crust over. Dr. Mark Abdelmalek, ABC News, 25 July 2022 Finally, the lesions will scab over and eventually fall off. Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2022 The color will darken because your lips will scab as the swelling subsides. Jacqueline Saguin, Good Housekeeping, 11 Apr. 2023 Wounds on his knees would scab over and reopen after he was forced to kneel on uncooked rice and concrete. James Queallystaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 25 Jan. 2023 Its wounds stop bleeding, scab over quickly, and shrink by 64 percent within a day. Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 26 Sep. 2012 Thwarting the rash could also help people make a swifter exit from isolation, which can stretch for weeks as patients wait for their lesions to scab and heal over. Emily Alpert Reyes, Anchorage Daily News, 11 Aug. 2022 After that, the rash goes through phases, including pustules progressing to blisters that eventually scab over. Dr. Mark Abdelmalek, ABC News, 9 Aug. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'scab.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Swedish skabbr scab; akin to Old English sceabb scab, Latin scabere to scratch — more at shave

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1683, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of scab was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near scab

Cite this Entry

“Scab.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scab. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

scab

1 of 2 noun
1
: scabies of domestic animals
2
: a crust chiefly of hardened blood that forms over and protects a wound
3
: a worker who takes the place of a striking worker
4
: a plant disease in which crusted spots form on stems or leaves

scab

2 of 2 verb
scabbed; scabbing
1
: to become covered with a scab
2
: to act as a scab

Medical Definition

scab

1 of 2 noun
1
: scabies of domestic animals
2
: a hardened covering of dried secretions (as blood, plasma, or pus) that forms over a wound

called also crust

scabby adjective
scabbier; scabbiest

scab

2 of 2 intransitive verb
scabbed; scabbing
: to become covered with a scab
the wound scabbed over

Legal Definition

scab

noun
1
: a worker who refuses to join a labor union
2
: a union member who refuses to strike or returns to work before a strike has ended
3
: a worker who accepts employment or replaces a union worker during a strike : strikebreaker
4
: one who works for less than union wages or on nonunion terms
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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